Child Protection and Economic Strengthening

Families who have lost their means of making a living may pull their children, especially girls, out of school to contribute to household incomes or care for siblings. Children who have lost their parents may turn to harmful strategies, such as petty crime or transactional sex, to meet their basic survival needs.

Economic strengthening programs (skills training, savings groups, microcredit initiatives, etc.) implemented by governments and humanitarian agencies can have positive effects but may also increase child labor and school dropout. Livelihood programs should strive to maximize the benefits and minimize the harm for children. Women’s Refugee Commission leads the global interagency Task Force on Livelihoods/Economic Strengthening and Child Protection, part of the Child Protection in Crisis (CPC) Network.